I want to get stronger
by Step Of Death
Summary: A month after the Super Fight Tournament, the fighter Lin Lin decides to leave the city and dedicate herself to her well-needed training. She didn't expect, however, to end up in a journey with the tournament's champion, where they both share the common goal of getting stronger and, later on, a certain unknown feeling to both of them. Suiryu x Lin Lin.


**- READ THIS-**

\- This is a Suiryu x Lin Lin story. The tags are OC x OC since they aren't available yet. Although pretty much of the story is focused on them, other characters from the series will appear too, so don't worry.

\- Since we don't know much about neither of the characters, the data I will be using - such as their ages, their pasts, aspects of their personalities, their abilities and more - will be **_ENTIRELY CREATED BY ME_**. As more information about them is released, I will make sure to edit the story.

\- I might create a few characters for this story, but all my OCs have support roles.

\- English in not my main language, so don't get surprised if you spot a few grammar errors.

\- Most importantly: _**I DO NOT OWN ONE PUNCH MAN**_. It belongs to an author which goes by the pseudonym "ONE". Suiryu and Lin Lin are characters who appear in the remake version illustrated by "Yusuke Murata".

\- Even more important: In this story Suiryu's hair didn't get ripped off by Bakuzan. How is this important? It isn't, but f*ck Bakuzan. That hair was cool.

I've been working on this story for months, but I decided to wait for Suiryu's arc to end before writing so that I can try to make it as close as possible to canon. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Prologue: Fateful Re-encounter**

...

...

...

 _["...So you're coming back?"]_

"I'm not sure. I did what I came to do in this city, but there are still a few things I'd like to do." A soft, girly voice answered.

Holding the phone with her shoulder, the girl stared at her own reflection with pure concentration. Using both her hands, she skillfully braided her short, dark hair, being careful not to mess it up. Glancing at the watch far behind her from the mirror, she took note of the time and mentally reviewed her schedule.

 _["Other things? You're not getting into any more fights, are you? When will you let that go?"]_ Came the voice on the other side of the phone. Despite it's apparent concern, all it got in response was a brief sigh of frustration, followed by a line it heard a million times.

"No, mom. I just want to visit a few places." The annoyed girl answered, already regretting calling home despite knowing this was bound to happen.

As far as she could tell, ever since her young days, the girl always felt genuine passion for martial arts. It amazed her to no end how beautiful were the movements. Grace. Elegance. Freedom. Those were the words who always popped in her head whenever she watched her seniors train. She would never forget how she felt when she herself started practicing the movements she admired so much.

However, despite the obvious love she felt for the arts, two things - or rather two people - would get in her way and try to stop her from fighting: Her parents.

Being born in a very traditional culture, Lin Lin's mother and father wanted nothing more than raising their daughter to become a respectable woman. She'd recieve lesson in housework, dancing, etiquette, and would eventually be arranged to marry a successful man and live a quiet, peaceful life.

However, she didn't have the slightest interest in any of that. Her love for fighting evidently became a problem, and needless to say her parents didn't approve it. They were completely against her becoming a martial artist. For years they argued over this, and despite being forced to learn things she didn't want to, Lin Lin never gave up on fighting.

Eventually, her parents gave up. They decided to let her pursue her dreams, even though they never truly approved it. They finally stopped arguing, but they started doing something even worse.

 _"Lin Lin, look at this woman dancing. Isn't it beautiful? It'd have been better if you had learned this instead of martial arts."_

 _"If you had done the cooking lessons like we told you to, we wouldn't have to eat this terrible takeout food.."_

 _"You chose fighting over housework, didn't you? Now figure out how to clean these clothes yourself."_

Phrases like this wouldn't stop coming, and they annoyed the martial artist to her very core. They almost managed to make her REGRET doing what she loved with the constant indirect messages. But she didn't falter. Upon mastering her fighting style, she started travelling around the world, participating in all kinds of tournaments. She did manage to win a few ones, but they were nothing compared to the one she participated last.

 _["I see... That's good to hear."]_ The voice on the other side emanated relief, which further annoyed the girl. She just couldn't understand WHY her parents didn't even bother hiding their clear discontent for what she loved. Why couldn't they just accept it?

As she finished braiding the lock of hair, she wrapped in a loop and finished by accessorizing her hair with a large bell, identical to the one in the other side of her head. Studying her perfect symmetrical reflection, Lin Lin smiled in satisfaction, and finally held the phone with her hand.

"Anyway, I have to go now, mom. I'll talk to you soon." The girl said, using her free hand to fix her messed bangs.

 _["Alright then. Stay out of trouble sweetie. I love you."]_ Her mother answered in a sweet voice.

"I love you too mom." She replied, even though she didn't fail to miss the hidden meaning of her mother's phrase. She finally hung up the phone after a quick goodbye and focused on the mirror again. After placing two more bells as earrings, and two more on her shoes, Lin Lin studied her reflection one last time before leaving the bathroom. "I should have breakfast."

In the kitchen, the martial artist made herself a quick meal and sat down. As she ate her rice porridge, the conversation she just had with her mother kept repeating itself in her head. She sighed. She really wished her parents would support her in what she decided for her life. Their worry was understandable though. In a world full of monsters, all kinds of dangerous situations could emerge. And being a skilled fighter was bound to attract this kind of danger, and ironically, that's exactly what happened a few days ago.

"The Super Fight Tournament..." She mumbled to herself, immediately reminiscing about it.

The Super fight is one of the most famous fighting tournaments of all cities, as many people use it a way to promote their dojos. It only happens twice in a year, once every six months. It reunites fighters from all around the world, offering them a huge prize of three million yen for the 1st place. Lin Lin participated in a previous tournament, and although she didn't win, she couldn't help but be amazed at how many different fighting styles she came to know. After training hard for the next six months, and feeling confident with her abilities, the girl didn't waste the opportunity to participate again.

She only came to realize how much she still had to learn when she saw that man.

Who could ever imagine that behind such an easygoing, carefree smile, there was so much power. So much strength. So much pride. It was unlike everything she'd ever seen. She recognized he was strong when he effortlessly defeated an A-class hero with a single kick, this hero being the opponent that eliminated her from the tournament, despite the fact that she fought with everything she had.

Even when the entire stadium fell into despair, as monsters invaded and somehow forced other martial artists into becoming one of them, the man didn't let go of his smile. Even when one of the monsters threw an energy blast capable of erradicating everyone in the arena - and possibly even more - the man didn't hesitate to hold it back with his own bare hands and send it away.

"Suiryu... He's a beast." She muttered to herself, still having a hard time to believe someone could be strong. Unfortunately for her, she couldn't see the end of the battle, as she was knocked unconscious along with the other fighters when they were attacked by the three crows. She woke up in the hospital afterwards, with a few cuts and bruises, but other than that and a little headache, she was great.

...But she couldn't say the same for that man.

* * *

 _She woke up. Blinding light was being sent directly into her face, and she could barely open her eyes. Her entire body was in pain, and she probably had the worst headache of her life. It took her some time to realize where she was, and after a moment's confusion, the memories from what led her to the hospital came flooding back._

 _A nurse noticed she was moving and hurried next to her. She was rather old, yet seemed dedicated to her job "Hello there. Lin Lin, is it? Can you understand me?" The nurse said, glancing at her clipboard for confirmation on her jane doe._

 _Lin Lin just nodded, still a little confused. She looked around her and saw multiple beds lined up with hers. Nearly all of them had injured people, and she felt nauseous when she realized that she knew some of them._

 _"You were taken here along with other injured people. You were attacked by monsters. Can you remember everything?" The nurse asked, using a little medical flashlight to look into Lin Lin's eye._

 _"Y-Yes." Her voice was incredibly weak. Not only she was in pain, but was also disoriented. After all, no one expects to wake up in a hospital. "I-...It's all still... a little fuzzy though... When... did I get here?"_

 _The nurse nodded, writing something of her clipboard. "Not long ago, actually. A few hours at best. As for your memory, that was expected. You suffered quite a concussion, along with a few minor injuries. But it's nothing serious, so you can rest asssured."_

 _Lin Lin closed her eyes and rested her head in the pillow. It was as if an elephant rode a monocycle on top of her while she was asleep. "How... How are the others...?" She managed to ask, looking back at the familiar people for an answer. The nurse took off her glasses and let out a heavy sigh. That wasn't a good sign._

 _"...Many weren't as lucky as you." The nurse started. Lin Lin grimaced, already expecting the worse. "They all survived, which is a miracle... But some of them withstood terrible injuries..." She gave Lin Lin a sad look "...They might never be able to fight again."_

 _Lin Lin was horrified, and even felt like crying. She was there, acting weak and hopeless over little to no injuries while some of her fellow martial artists fought for their lives. As glad as she was that she was alive, she couldn't help but think on how it was unfair for the others. She started feeling bad for being so well._

 _"I need to make a few exams. Can you get up?" The nurse asked. Lin Lin shook the depressing thoughts out of her head and complied. Her body felt heavy, like as if she had a hangover, but she managed to hop out of bed just fine. She noticed she was dressed in a hospital gown. "Good. Follow me, if you will."_

 _Nodding, Lin Lin followed the nurse out of the room, glancing one last time at the unconscious fighter she recognized as Sour-face. She hoped he wasn't one of the serious cases, and that he was fine._

 _As she stepped out of the room and entered the long corridor, a loud rattiling sound approached her. She turned to see a group of medics pushing a wheeled bed._

 _"Clear the way!" One of them yelled. They all seemed desperate and in a hurry, since the man's state was grave._

 _Lin Lin's eyes widened as she looked at the man._

 _His entire body was covered in his own blood. He had terrible bruises, and a quick glance at his arm was enough for her to see that it was broken. She couldn't quite understand what she heard from one of the nurses pushing the bed, but his arm was definitely not the only thing broken. He was missing several teeth and his legs were also bent in weird ways. He was missing a great part of his hair, and the way it was messy, she could guess it was pulled by force. When she finally realized the man in front of her was Suiryu, she just couldn't believe it. She watched in shock as the nurses ran and eventually disappeared in a room._

 _The sight was enough trigger her nausea, and the last thing she remembered was being unable to hold the urge of vomiting._

* * *

She shook her head "Why am I thinking about this?". Having such memories early in the morning weren't in her plans, and the fact that the monster who did all of that damage hadn't been defeated yet - or so she heard- made her scared to death. But she wouldn't let that keep her away from her duty. She was still a fighter, and a very brave one. Dismissing the thoughts, she finished her breakfast and left her apartment.

The hallways were empty and in complete silence, which gave her a weird feeling of solitude. Her steps echoed loudly thanks to her clogs, and as she walked through the corridors she couldn't think of anything other than some kind of horror movie. Not really in the mood to face the ghost of a little girl in a white dress, or some messed up demon nun, she paced up, all the while thinking about how ridiculous that sounded, yet doing it anyway. She couldn't help being a scaredy cat when it came to these things.

Bowing respectfully to the doorman, she avoided getting into small talk and made her way to the building's entrance. A cold, gentle breeze met her delicate face as she stepped out, which made her tighten her scarf. She was glad she grabbed a coat before she left, but since even with it she felt like she would freeze to death, she walked faster. The streets were silent, which was a bit disturbing considering it was still morning. The traffic didn't have it's usual movement, and the people around seemed lifeless. Lin Lin sighed, trying not to absorb this depressing atmosphere.

Ever since the monsters's crescent attacks on the nearby cities, a lot of citizens left, fearing for their lives. It's been a month since the incident at the tournament, and there hadn't been many more attacks since that one. The environment would be rather peaceful if not for the people's constant fear and insecurity, not to mention those who lost family and friends with these attacks and were in absolute sorrow. Her own building had quite some examples, if she wasn't mistaken. She heard a few neighbors had moved away, and some were even in the hospital fighting for their lives.

 _"I guess I'm lucky... sort of."_ She thought. Her family was far away and in a safe place, and maybe she'd eventually return there. She managed to survive that whole ordeal. Yeah, she was definitely lucky.

After some time wandering aimlessly through the streets, Lin Lin realized she had nothing to do. The store she'd been meaning to visit was destroyed, and pretty much a lot of other places she'd considered visiting were either in the same boat or just closed. She just ate, so going to cafes or restaurants would be pointless. She already trained and exercised when she woke up, so going to a gym wouldn't be a great idea. Sighing, she just decided to head back to the hotel. At least it was warm there.

As she headed back, she didn't felt like crossing a certain street again since there was a weird group of men there now, so she decided to go through another route. She came across a movie theater and considered watching a movie. She dismissed the idea when she saw that at least three movies were romances, which isn't really her favorite genre, specially since her love life was as boring as a stale white bread.

Her parents were probably the cause to her complete disinterest in love and anything related to it. Since they mentioned she'd have to stop fighting and finding herself a good husband, she never thought about boys that way again. Of course, she was a healthy woman, so seeing a handsome guy on the streets did put some ideas in her mind from time to time. But she never even considered dating anyone, as she strongly believed it would just hold her back on her training and would give her parents a satisfaction she didn't want to. Also, the people from her home town were stuck in time, and their culture still valued men as being more important than women. That meant no man would accept marrying someone stronger than him, or even having a wife that enjoyed fighting. Guess who couldn't care less about them?

"As if I need a man in my life. I'm perfectly happy being sad and lonely, if that makes any sense."

As she kept walking, she eventually came across some sort of commotion. Random people were overly excited about something, and it didn't take long to see what it was all about.

"Hey, look over here!"

"Wow, he's so cute!"

"Excuse me sir, may I have an autoghraph?!"

Random people kept talking similar phrases as they surrounded the man. Lin Lin recognized him immediately. She always found his hair style pretty weird, but she did like the tone of his blond hair. He had a lightning symbol tattoed on the left side of his face, but that wasn't the only one. His outift, which consisted in a tank top, shorts, long socks and sleeves, was emblazoned with more lightning symbols on all of it's pieces. She also noticed he had some bandages wrapped all over him, the most noticiable ones being in his forehead and covering his left arm. It didn't take long to realize that she knew exactly where he might've gotten those injuries...

As the small crowd thickened around him, Lin Lin couldn't help but notice the troubled expression in Lightning Max's face and supressed a giggle. Being a pro hero wasn't so pleasant at times, it seemed. It didn't take long for him to notice her lone figure at the other side of the street. Their eyes met. From his expression, he must've remembered her as well, but she was surprised when he suddenly waved and smiled at her.

"Hey! Long time no see!" He said in an overly cheerful voice. Confused, the crowd looked over at her in mild curiosity. Lin Lin's own confusion only grew as she saw him make his way through the crowd towards her. The crowd made way for him, but followed right behind. Cameras were pointed at both of them.

 _Oh my God..._

She suddenly regretted not taking her usual route home.

As he finally approached her, he extended his hand to her, which she reluctantly took. "Hi, how have you been?" He asked

"O-Oh, uh... Great, I guess." She said awkwardly. She could see the media circus taking pictures of them together and grew amazingly uncomfortable.

A few reporters approached them holding microphones. "Mr. Max, is she your girlfriend?" "Are you two a couple?"

Lin Lin was exasperated. How could a simple walk turn into such a mess? Before the situation could get any more complicated, she decided to explain herself to the reporters and leave as soon as possible.

"Actually-"

"She's an old acquaintance of mine, and we were about to grab lunch together. Isn't that right?" Max beat her to it. She stared at him in disbelief for the blatant lie, but when she saw the look on his face, she immediately followed suit. It could be their ticket to freedom.

"Y-Yeah, that's right..." She agreed. Before she noticed, he grabbed her wrist and started walking away in a rather fast pace. He turned the the crowd and waved his other hand. "Well, see you around everyone!" He exclaimed before darting away, dragging Lin Lin with him.

She could feel that they were still taking pictures and even trying to follow them, but she just focused on fastening her own pace to match Max's. They turned a couple of corners and entered a small cafe until Max finally let go of her wrist. Both took a moment to regain their breath.

"Phew... I so sorry about all this." Max said, still panting heavily from running.

Lin Lin struggled to regain her own breath. "...It's ok" She said, not really believing her own words as they left her mouth. She was pretty bothered by being dragged into this.

"No, seriously. I found myself stuck with that crowd and... I'm not really good at handling them, so when I saw you... I sort of made an excuse to leave in the spur of the moment. I'm really sorry."

Now Lin Lin sort of felt bad. In his shoes, she wouldn't do any better in handling a crowd than him, specially such a hyped one. Truth is, she has always been quite introverted and shy. She never had many friends, neither has ever been bothered by this fact, but thanks to these traits of her personality, she always felt a huge pressure around a lot of people. She could only assume it was the same with him. After all, it wasn't because he was rather famous as a hero that he would enjoy said fame.

"It's alright, don't worry. Good thing we managed to get away." She replied sincerely with a smile, earning one back from the hero.

"Yeah. They wouldn't leave us alone so soon." He replied, and got a nod as a response.

There was an awkward silence for some seconds, both unsure about what to say. That was when Max decided to do something about it.

"So, uh, since we're here, let me make it up for you. How about a cup of coffee?" He offered

Lin Lin shook her head, surprised. "Oh, no no, it's ok. You don't have to do this."

"It's ok, really. It's least I can do after dragging you into that mess. Please?"

"...Ok then, if you insist."

The cafe had quite the movement, probably the most she'd seen today from as the stores she passed through. Max didn't even bother looking for a table in the first floor, simply walking towards the stairs and going up. Lin Lin followed right behind. She wondered if he already knew the place.

Both walked to an empty table next to a large window and settled down. Seconds later they were greeted by a waitress who handles each a copy of the menu. She bowed politely and left, giving them some time to choose whatever they wanted.

They scanned the menu in silence, making the atmosphere even more awkward. Lin Lin was terrible at starting conversations, specially with a rather famous person. But if she were to stay and let him pay her a drink while both said nothing, she'd rather go home. She decided to start a conversation herself.

"So, what was that all about?" She asked casually, trying not to sound so troubled. He looked up from the menu to her.

"Ah, that... Well, there were reports that a Tiger level monster was around that region, and since I was close I went to take a look. I was able to get rid of it before it harmed the people around, but then people recognized me and started... well, asking for autographs and stuff." He said, sighing.

Lin Lin nodded, unsure about what a Tiger level meant, but assuming it was nothing good if he deemed worth mentioning. "I see. Being a hero is more tiring than it seems." She commented truthfully.

As talented as a martial artist she was, and as much as she had a good sense of justice, she'd never be a hero herself. The incident at the Super Fight tournament proved her how much she still had to improve, and how hopeless she was to certain threats. Not just that, but even Max, a pro hero himself, had trouble fighting the monsters. As noble as it was, the idea of sacrificing herself to save others didn't appeal to her.

Her dream was to make a living through fighting, but she never thought exactly what she'd do. She could work teaching other people, or participating in some fighting comitee, or maybe even live by winning a tournament from time to time, like a certain someone did. But all those things took an awful lot of knowledge, and she felt she wasn't ready yet. As much as she hated it, working part-time was her only option for now.

Max smiled at her. "Yeah, it can be harsh sometimes. What about you though, do you have an interesting occupation?"

 _Ugh, not this question..._

The same waitress came back and took their orders. They gave her the menus back and watched as she left.

"Not really. Well, not at the moment at least. I've been working part-time here and there, but that's about it." She told him, feeling slightly uncomfortable at how her life seemed so boring compared to his. Not that it wasn't, but she felt weird. "Nothing as exciting as being a hero I guess, haha."

Max laughed at her comment. "Oh, come on. I'm sure you've worked with something cool at least once." He said as he watched the waitress come back and hand them their drinks. That was fast.

"Nope, not really. And yes, my life sucks." She took a sip of her expresso to cure her depresso (pun intended).

"Haha, don't be like that. Ever thought ofdoing something related to martial arts? You're pretty talented." He told her while blowing his hot coffee. For a moment she wondered if he was mocking her, but his eyes showed her otherwise.

"Pretty ironic to hear that from the guy who defeated me so easily at the tournament." She joked, earning a chuckle from the blonde hero. She was starting to feel comfortable with the conversation. "But yeah, I actually have."

Max shook his head, smiling playfully "Well, just so you know, it wasn't really all THAT easy. You gave some trouble, you know?" He commented.

Lin Lin got the feeling he said that just to cheer her up. Their battle was still vivid in her mind, and as far as she remembered, he had no trouble blocking and avoiding all of her attacks, and of course she wouldn't forget the fact that she was knocked unconscious, though she couldn't even remember what hit her.

"Yeah, right. You're lucky I went easy on you, otherwise I'd probably steal your spot as a pro hero." She teased. Max raised his eyebrown.

"Ohh, really, miss pro fighter? Well, then why don't y-" A beeping sound brought the conversation to an end. Lin Lin watched confused as Max reached up for a small device in his pocket, which resembled a PDA at first glance. He had a serious expression, and the change was so sudden that she tensed up. He abruptly got up all of a sudden, which startled her. "Sorry, I have to pick this up." He said and walked away towards the shop's veranda.

Lin Lin waited for him to come back, feeling somewhat nervous. It was really unsettling the way the mood changed so fast, and it couldn't mean any good. He had the same look from when the monsters invaded the arena. There was probably some ongoing threat going on nearby, and she seriously considered heading home. It's not like there was much for her to do anyway.

She took another sip from cup and sighed. Today was definitely not her day. First she overslept for the first time in months, then she had a rather stressful conversation with her mother on the phone, was filmed and photographed by random reporters who believed she was the girlfriend of a famous hero, and was now sitting there, alone in an unknown cafe waiting for him to come back from whatever he had to do. It couldn't get any worse, could it?

Looking at his empty chair, she suddenly realized something. They were currently in something like a date, weren't they? The thought made her blush. It was indeed, the first time she had coffee with a man like this. Of course, she hanged out with some guy friends from time to time, but there'd always be some of her female friends with her, so she never felt pressured around them. Besides, both she and her male friends had nothing but a feeling of mutual friendship for each other (at least she hoped so). Dating never crossed her mind, yet there she was, having coffee with a man she barely knew. Waiting for him made everything even weirder. She just wished he'd come back already...

As if reading her mind, Max suddenly showed up. He seemed in a hurry, and his expression hadn't changed. "I need to go." He said before Lin Lin could even ask him what happened. "There is a monster attacking not far from here."

 _"As I thought..."_

He gave her an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry, but we'll have to continue this some other time." He then darted away, disappearing from view as he went down the stairs, leaving behind a stunned Lin Lin.

As fast as it all happened, it was all gone. The way the whole situation ended just made it more tiring, and it didn't take long for her to feel a headache. She noticed he hadn't even finished his cup, and also noticed that he left without paying. She grumbled, finishing the last of her drink and letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. If she had any doubts the day could get worse, they were cleared that moment.

She took some time to process the whole thing and eventually got up. He confirmed her suspicions that a monster was around, so she decided to go home. Luckily she didn't have to work that day, so she could take it easy. She knew she'd be bored, but at least she'd be safe. After paying for her drink (and Max's), she finally left the cafe. Fortunately, when they ran from the press, they didn't enter any street that was unknown to her. It didn't take long for her to locate herself and trace a route back home.

The sky grew noticiably darker - not because of the time, since it was still rather early, but because of the weather. It would probably rain soon, which gave her more of a reason to fasten her pace. She wasn't really in the mood to go home though. Lin Lin was far from being a person who could stay too long without doing something, anything at all (except chores, they are torture). Training in her apartment was not an option since she had no space do so, and other than that there wasn't really much she enjoyed doing. She wasn't in the mood for socializing either. A sad life indeed.

As she grimaced at thought of being an 80 years old shut-in in the future, she saw an open supermarket on her way back. After pondering for some time. she went in for some junk food. If she was going to stay home all day, then she'd at least eat some tasty stuff she couldn't eat everyday. Getting fat was definitely not on her to do list, though whenever she entered the food section of the market and saw all those hamburgers, ice cream, french fries, soda, and so on, she seriously considered abandoning her training and diet to eat her ass out. "Sorry, I can't go training today because pizza." She would definitely use this line.

After getting some chocolate bars and popcorn, she headed for the queue. Didn't seem like it would take long. The woman in front of her was already paying, so she started placing her items on the counter. God, she wondered what the cashiers thought whenever they saw people buying things similar to hers. In a way, it embarrased her since it made plainly obvious that her life wasn't interesting in the slightest and that she was broke. But that was a burden she was willing to endure, since she wouldn't stay another day without her chocolate.

"Morning."

She froze. As she lost herself in her gluttonious reveries, she didn't notice the person who passed right next to her. His rich voice brought her back to herself, but what really caught her attention was how familiar the voice sounded. She immediately turned to see who said it. _"It can't be."_

It came from the man on the queue next to her. The cashier greeted him back and started checking his items. Lin Lin couldn't see him clearly since he had a pillar right behind him which hid most of him from view. She did notice, however, that he had tan skin and his arm was pretty muscular... _"No way"_

The man was engaged in small talk with the cashier as she did her job. Seemed like they were having fun, as she noticed the cashier giggling. Lin Lin focused all her attention on that voice, as she tried in vain to see more of the man without looking weird.

"Maybe I could help you with that." She heard him say in a rather seductive voice. The cashier blushed as she wrote something in a piece of paper and handed him. He finished packing his groceries and moved towards the exit. That's when Lin Lin finally managed to see his back. That long, low ponytail. The spiky bands. The muscles that were so defined that could be seen through the clothes. It had to be him.

"MISS!" The cashier in front of Lin Lin yelled, prompting her to look at the old woman.

"What?!" Lin Lin countered, annoyed at the old hag's voice.

The woman stared at her in disbelief and clear disgust. "What do you mean, 'what'? You've been calling you for centuries here! There are others in line, so stop dozing off girlie!"

Lin Lin gritted her teeth at the woman, so then took a quick glance at the man who resembled the man who saved her life. Phew, confusing huh?

 _"I can catch up to him."_ She thought to herself as she picked up her wallet. "How much is it?"

Frowning, the woman pointed at a screen. Lin Lin almost threw the money on the bitch's face and left. As she handed over the money she threw another glance. The door had just closed behind the man.

"Here you go." The cashier said, extending her arm and letting the coins fall in Lin Lin's hands. Giving the woman a polite bow, Lin Lin quickly packed her stuff and left the store. Standing at the entrance, she looked both ways. This street in particular had quite the movement. He was gone.

"No way." She muttered angrily as she looked at nearby buses and taxis if he was inside. Nothing.

As she was about to give up, she spotted him two blocks to her left. Damn, he was fast! Without wasting any time, she hurried after him, being careful not to lose him of her sight. When she noticed he'd turn around a corner, she paced faster.

Lucky for her, it wasn't hard to spot him when she turned around the same corner half a minute later. He was standing next to a pole, resting his back on it as he talked to a woman. She could perfectly see his profile, and she'd be a fool not to recognize him. Turns out her suspicions were right.

 _"Suiryu..."_

It was really odd seeing him outside the arena, not to mention how weird it was to see him in casual clothes (which in her opinion fit him really well). He was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a half-buttoned white shirt. He had a silver necklace and maintained his low ponytail. She didn't fail to notice he had some bandages wrapped over his body, most noticiably in his arm. His playful, carefree smile was still the same as far as she could remember.

Both he and the woman he was talking to suddenly laughed. Lin Lin watched him curiously as they had fun. It was hard to associate such a cheerful man to the monstrous power she witnessed from him some time ago. If she didn't know him already, never in her wildest dreams she would ever guess that he was a very talented, skilled fighter, but rather a simple, easygoing man. Lin Lin was intrigued, as she somehow couldn't stop wondering about him.

The woman he was talking to didn't really interest Lin Lin, but she noticed that she was actually very pretty. She had long brown hair and was wearing a tight shirt, which emphasized her stunning curves, and a really short denin shorts, to the point that the bottom of her buttocks were almost sticking out. She didn't really look like a bad person, but something in her made Lin Lin dislike her. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what.

Lin Lin didn't fail to notice when the woman got a piece of paper from her purse, wrote something on it and handed it to the Suiryu. Again? She didn't really pay any mind to it the first time (after all, she couln't even tell for sure if it was him at he market), but seeing it happen again made her remember how popular the man was. Everyone in the tournament's audience seemed to know him, and she did notice quite a number of female fans yelling for him. Truth be told, even she herself was cheering for him that day. She was completely amazed at his fighting prowess, and she still felt like he didn't give his all.

Lost in her reveries, when she came back to herself she noticed that they were each heading for different ways. Done talking, apparently. It was then that she noticed how creepy she was, watching them from behind that pole like some crazy stalker. The thought made her feel embarrassed and question her life choices, and she started comtemplating heading back home already. But something about him made her curious. She couldn't even say what, but something from deep within her was telling her not to let him go. She kept struggling internally as he distanced himself from her with each passing second. Before he vanished again, she defied her own morals and stepped forward, following him in silence.

 _"What the hell am I doing... I must be going crazy."_

* * *

 **A/N: That's it for now. I might add some stuff later, But I'd like to know what you think if it so far. Thanks a lot, please review!**


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